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THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PARK SUPERINTENDENTS 



OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS. 

 G. S, AMRHYN, Pres., New Haven, Conn. R. W. COTTERILL, Sec.-Treas., Seattle, Washington. 



ASSOCIATION NOTES. 



Beginning with the .Tanuary number, an illustrated article will 

 be published each month, descriptive of the park systems of vari- 

 ous Pacific Coast cities. These will continue until convention 

 time, and are intended to inform the membership as to what is 

 in store for them in connection witli the trip to next year's con- 

 vention as well as to stimulate interest in members making the 

 ■entire coast circuit, via the Pacific iS'orthwest, either going or 

 returning, which can be done at but slight additional expense. 



Tile proceedings of the Newburgh-New York convention, which 

 the secretary expected to liavc printed and in the members' hands 

 by this time, will not be out until January. Failure to receive 

 photos of all members of the Executive Board is responsible for 

 the immediate delay. 



Tlie membership roster in a new form which will probably be 

 pleasing to the members, will be off the press this month. 



The cities ot San Diego, Cal.. and Tacoma, Wash., have been 

 added to tlie list of sustaining members recently, following 

 solicitation by the secretary. An effort is being made to enroll 

 .all of the coast cities, and it is probable that several others will 

 be added in the near future. 



This will insure a hearty reception at the various cities for dele- 

 .gates attending next year's convention. 



The annual report of Superintendent (Jeorge A. Parker, of Hart- 

 ford, recently distributcil slionld l>e read l)y every |iark executive. 



Jlr. Parker is botli original and unique in his methods and con- 

 •clusions, and his observations are wortliy of .serious consideration. 

 His chajiter on "Milestones in Park Develoiiment" is especially 

 good and will be published in full in these columns. 



J. Henderson, superintendent of Mt. Royal Park at iloutreal. 

 writes to say that he is well pleased with the change of official 

 organ, and likes this magazine very much. Jlany others have 

 written in the same vein, which is, of course, pleasing to the 

 officers, who Iiad a duty tluust upon tliem by the convention, 

 acting according to their best judgment, and were temporarily 

 criticised liy >iiiiie wlio did not fiillv iiiideistaiid the situatinii. 



PARK DEPARTMENT PERSONALS 



.John W. ]!)uncan, past president of tlie association, is still 

 superintendent at Spokane, Wash., and has just closed a busy 

 year of improvement work. An extension fund of a million dollars 

 for pai'k purpo-es became available two years ago. and while a 

 •considerable amount of it was spent for land, Mr. Duncan Avas 

 able to add a .sold course, athletic stadium, several phiysrouuds 

 and new park buildings. Early in the spring 5Ir. Duncan will 

 give us ail illrstrated article which will prove why meifibers at- 

 tending next year's convention should stop off in Sprkaiie. 



A. A. Fi.sk. superintendent at Eaciue, Wis., who created such a 

 sensation at the Xewburgh convention with his wliite .suit, now 

 springs another surprise with the announcement of tlie arrixal 

 of a little stranger in Ids household, Jessie Louise Fisk. The 

 Fisk smile, well known to convention attendants, is probably 

 just a little broader about this time. 



Richard Iwerson. formerly superintendent at Calgary. Canada, 

 has secured a position in charge of landscape work for the Wash- 

 ington Xurseiy Company at Toppenish, Wash. 



Emil T. ]\Iische, for many years' su])criiiteiiileiit at Portland 

 Ore., has a new jiosition and a new title as the result of changes 

 following the adoption of a commission form of government. " A 

 •commissioner of public affairs is now at the head of the park 

 department, anil ilr. ilische is to serve in the future as con 

 suiting landscape architect for the department, engaging in 

 private work as well. 



Bernard Rifkin, the lost member, supposedly superintendent at 

 Eeading. Pa., has been located at Pottsville, Pa., the information 

 lieing supplied by Chas. A. Seybold. of Wilkes-Barre. 



Mr. Seybold. formerly in charge of Carroll Park at Baltimore, 

 is now supervisor of the Bureau of Public Parks at Wilkes-Barre. 



J. W. Thompson, superintendent at Seattle for ten years, and 

 who has been passing up the last few conventions because he 

 has been so busy spending four million dcdiars of extension 

 funds, will have an illustrated article on what he has accom- 

 plished, in a future number of this magazine. 



Jlr. Thompson is one of the charter members of the associa- 

 tion and is looking forward to next year's convention on the 

 Coast, and hopes that all of the old-timers and new ones also, 

 will come bv wav of Seattle. 



C. K. Brock, superintendent at Houston, Tex., reports activity 

 in ]iark lines in his city, .^2.50,000 in bonds having recently been 

 voted for park improvements. One of tlie new features to be 

 added was a Zoo in Woodland Park. One of Houston's citizens, 

 a Mr. George H. Herman, recently died and be(|ueatlied to the 

 city for park purposes a prominent city block, on condition that 

 no destitute person found in the jiark should lie arrested or 

 molested, ilr. Brock is one of the few members we have in 

 Southern cities, a very promising field, which the association has 

 overlooked in years past. 



G. Hennenhofer, superintendent of Pueblo. Colo., is very 

 anxious that members attending ne.xt year's convention should 

 plan their route via the Colorado cities and stop ofi' at Pueblo. 



When the association met in Denver in 1913 many promised 

 to stop over in Pueblo, and Mr. Hennenhofer rushed home to be 

 on hand to entertain them, but not a soul showed up, although 

 many passed through Pueblo on the return trip. It is to be 

 hoped that next year some of the luemliers will put Pueblo 

 nil their list of sto]i-overs. 



MILE STONES IN PARK DEVELOPMENT. 



By George .\. F.arker.* 



The mile stones in tlie development of "Municipal 

 Parks" seems to have been as follows : 



1. 1850 when the thotight was a single large park 

 that would bring country influences and rural scenes 

 into the midst of city conditions. 



2. 1875 when a series of separate parks was con- 

 ceived. 



3. 1890 when large park reservations with connect- 

 ing parkways or bnulevards took form. 



4. 1900 when playgrounds and outdoor gymnasiums 

 became popular. 



5. 1910 when park work incltided ptiblic recreation, 

 so that now the word "parks" is fast becoming to 

 mean all those things needed for the people and for 

 each group of people for their recreation in outdoor 

 life, that is so essential to health and happiness. 



With each mile stone passed, the meaning of the 

 different words and terms tised has increased, and the 

 motif that has led the workers forward has changed, 

 so that now it seems necessary to re-state the inotif 

 and re-define some of the terms. 



The parks of a cit}^, the influences they exert and 

 the services they render are fast coming to mean all 

 plant and tree life, lawns and decorative grounds, 

 whether ptiblic or private, that are within a city. This 

 conception justifies the Park Department furnishitig 

 at slightly above cost loam, sod, or other materials for 

 the improvements of private grounds, for such im- 

 provements add just so much beauty of the city, mak- 



*Extract from his annu.il report as Superintendent of Parks, Hartford, 

 Conn. 



